Speed is the rule for Marines in violent Iraqi city of Ramadi
*RAMADI, Iraq (AP) -- Weapons locked, loaded and ready, a U.S. Marine
platoon runs through this troubled Iraqi city's war-wrecked streets,
hurling yellow, gray and violet smoke grenades to shroud their path.*
Pausing only to train gun barrels around corners or scan rooftops for
insurgents, they bound across desolate roads lined with broken glass and
charred cars -- and start running again.
Standing still is rarely an option in this insurgent-plagued metropolis
beset by roadside bombs, rocket fire and, Marines here say, the worst
sniper threat on the planet.
"Every time we go out, we run," said 2nd Lt. Brian Wilson, a 24-year-old
platoon commander from Columbia, South Carolina. "If you stand still,
you WILL get shot at."
[snip]
Marines patrolling this city on foot don't like to stay exposed too
long, preferring instead to blow front gate locks off private homes with
special shotgun shells to take temporary cover in walled courtyards
before moving on. They don't knock first -- there is no time.
On one recent sweep, U.S. and Iraqi infantrymen climbed over walls
between houses instead of risking the streets outside.
"We try to stay mobile, so snipers can't aim in on us," said 1st Lt.
Carlos Goetz, a 29-year-old Miami, Florida, native. "If we walk, then it
gives them more time to aim in on your head."
With 60 to 80 pounds of gear, the Marines' pace is more of a quick jog.
The enemy could be aiming
The urban environment of walled villa rooftops and four- to five-story
windowed buildings keeps Marines edgy.
"You try to take cover wherever you can, but it just feels like
someone's always watching you. It really messes with your head," said
Cpl. Jason Hunt of Wellsville, New York.
"You look for dark windows, tiny holes anywhere," the 24-year-old said.
"They could be sitting back on a bench with a scope and a barrel -- they
see you, but you can't see them."
Troops from the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment aggressively patrol
the blown-out district around Government Center at all hours -- during
the hazy, gritty heat of the day, and in the quiet of night, when
moonlight casts buildings and villas in blue hues.
Marines say the patrols have disrupted insurgent operations. But the
guerrillas operating in small teams are relentless, firing rockets,
mortars and machine guns daily at Government Center, U.S. bases and
fortified observation posts. Sometimes they attack the same targets
several times a day.
[snip]
Out on the streets, troops are wary of all the spots that insurgents
have used to hide bombs: heaps of garbage and rubble, mangles of wires,
scrap metal, the occasional dead animal or body part.
"This is the kind of stuff that makes you cringe," said Capt. Andrew Del
Gaudio, 30, of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, gesturing at a large pile of
dirt near a light pole as he ran along ahead of a raid with a platoon
from his Kilo Company.
Sprinting into the entrance of an abandoned building and seeing a bag on
the ground with wires sticking out, the Marines quickly retreated as one
shouted, "Get out! Go! Go! Go!"
One Iraqi soldier bounding between two roads this month stepped on a
bomb that blew off his leg. It's easier to spot bombs when moving
slowly, but speed is the rule for Marines in Ramadi.
Cpl. Scott R. Gibson, 22, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, said his platoon
had started off walking during their first patrol in the city last
month, worrying about pressure-plate bombs that explode when stepped on.
They soon came under a hail of gunfire.
"After that, we started running," Gibson said. "We can't stand still
here too long."
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/04/23/iraq.ramadi.ap/index.html
